The National tribune., 1887-06-30
NO ILL-WILI.


The comrades Of the GAR have done
more practical work in this direction than
any other equal number of men. They are
the men above all others who have the good
Of the country most at heart, for they have
made greater sacrifices than any other TO
secure that good. Deeply anxious that the
country should be thoroughly reunited, they
have spared no effort since the war TO soften
the animosiiies engendered by the conflict
They have not believed, however, that
this desirable result could be FASTENED by
displays of sloppy and gushing sentimental
ity snch as many people favor, and of which
the return of the hattleHags is a oOnspicu-
aus instance This sort of thing never &C
complishes any result except the creation Of
nausea. The men who fought us are full
grown, commoB-sense men, who look at
things in a manly way. They are not TO be
cajoled into good humor by bon bons and
playthings like punished child. They do
not want TO be constantly palavered over,
gushed over, and made the object of Osten-
taiious favors and concessions. They want
us to be true 20 ourselves and TO the princi-
piles which we have made dominant in the
Government Their selfrespect ard consist
ency are best maintained when we maintain
Our own consistency and selfrespect
This the GAR has done with malice to-
ward none, and with charity for all it has
steadily insisted that the war tor the Union
was eiernally right, and that the dec sion of
the arbitrament Of arms is sacred-unques-
iiouable-unchangeable II has been in
neKible that any attempt 10 perVcrt that de-
cisiOn or rob IL of a particle of its force and
effect is an uncomfortable wrong. No man or
set Of men must 90 aught 20 unsettle that
which had been settled at such an enormous
cost of the best blood in the land. The
thinking patriotic men Of the South are with
tbs in this They dread as much as we do
anything that looks like the reopening of
any issue which was closed at such terrible
expense
The aficial and formal return of the rebel
haitlefags By the President of the United
States cannot help taking the appearance Of
a decided step in the reopening of that issue.
Itdisturbs the finality Of the settlement by
formally Iepudiating some of the terms.
For the first time in the history of our Gov
ernment it recognizes officially the right Of
the States to make war upon the Govern
meut, 10 raise volunteer organization" of
a hostile character, which can have property
in alien flags. The consequences Of this
portentOus step may at any moment assume
an aspect quite as alarming TO the Southern
people as TO ourselves. If the United
States can be shown TO admit that States
can legally make war upon it. then
there must also follow the general
recognition that they have the power
TO borrow money 10 carry on that war, and
this will give the holders of the Confederate
bonds a standing in court 10 collect their
money from the several States composing the
so-called Southern Confederscy. This is the
scheme of the European holders of these
securities, and they are keenly on the look
out for an opportunity to insert the entering
wedge
This is the practical, unsentimental side of
the matter. The other aspects are:
]. The GAR. comrades are bitterly OPP
posed N having trophies which represent
the most exalted courage and devotion Of
loyal Americans being bariered away by
managing politicians TO purchase popularity
for themselves. They justly regard this as
a prostitution Of most sacred things
2. They are bitterly opposed to having
these trophies. which cost some Of the best
blood in the Nation TO gain, perverted
from their present use as object lessons of
patriotic seli-sacrifce by being sent where
they will become obiectlessons 10 sanctify
treason in the minds Of the present gene
ration, aud glorify il in the hearts and inagi-
nations Of the generations which are TO
come. They believe that this official sur
render of these trophies will greatly en-
nance their importance 10 those who may be
disafTected 10 the Government; will give
them encouragement such as they have not
received since the close Of the war. and will
greatly delay the final assuaging of all the
bitterness engendsred. This is q result as
much to be deprecated by the Southerners as
ourselves, for they have precisely as much 10
lose by il as we have.
GEN. JOHN C. ROBINSON.
The Society of the Army of the Potomac
made a splendid selection for its President